


Tell Me Who Do You Love, Man?

by thephantomrunner



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-18 01:20:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28609710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thephantomrunner/pseuds/thephantomrunner
Summary: “You could’veat leasttold me I was on speaker phone!” Luke exclaimed.“I didn’t even get to sayhellobefore you went off about how in love with Reg you are,” he could hear Alex’sstupid smirkand he could see Bobby raising hisstupid eyebrows.Or: Luke accidentally tells Reggie he has a crush on him when Alex puts him on speaker phone.
Relationships: Luke Patterson/Reggie Peters (Julie and The Phantoms)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 235





	Tell Me Who Do You Love, Man?

**Author's Note:**

> Hiii, lovely reader, thanks for clicking on my dumb story <3
> 
> I got this idea from a prompt on a tumblr blog called @palettes-and-prompts!
> 
> I’m trying to write these boys as in character as I possibly can- I think I’m getting better? 
> 
> Anyway! I hope you like it! :)

Luke felt himself on the brink of some sort of crisis. 

Firstly, he was angry; he was angry that Bobby had even put the thought in his head. He hated the way that Alex had given Bobby a knowing look, smirking, as if the two of them knew fucking _everything._ Mostly, he was angry because he just realized that they had been absolutely right. 

Secondly, he was _confused._ While Reggie might not have been the most observant out of the four of them, he was definitely good at reading Luke, and if he was good at reading Luke… then he also knew and he just wasn’t saying anything. _Why wasn’t he saying anything?_

He was also confused because he should know himself better than anyone else, right? He lived with himself one hundred percent of the time, he was stuck with his thoughts and his body; shouldn’t he be able to _tell_ if he had a crush on someone? 

Luke has had several crushes- several crushes that he was more than well aware existed, he had just decided that acting on them would’ve caused more damage than good. Reggie would always joke that Luke was in a serious relationship with his music and he was too good to commit indefinitely against it. 

Anyway, he could tell when he had a crush, okay? He didn’t need Reggie, Bobby or Alex to point it out for him. 

Except, apparently, that he _did_ need them to point it out, and that’s exactly what Alex and Bobby had done. 

They’d been at practice, taking a break after spending hours trying to collaborate on the song Luke had just introduced them to. Reggie had gone inside to get them some water and Luke had flopped onto the couch, notebook in hand, pretending he couldn’t see the very obvious conversation that Alex and Bobby were having with their eyes. 

He’d look up occasionally, frowning when Bobby’s eyebrows would raise and Alex would nod his head, his smirk deepening. This wasn’t the first time it happened either; he would pull Reggie into a tight hug and from behind him Bobby would snort- Luke would look over at Alex who would nod his head knowingly. Reggie would complement his playing and Alex would clear his throat and Bobby would grin smugly. Luke would curl up against Reggie during a movie night and he’d see Alex and Bobby share a look; he had held their gaze until one of them made eye contact with him. He pouted slightly when Alex had sent him a sweet smile. 

Luke had no idea when they’d created their secret eyebrow language, but it pissed him _off_ because it was becoming increasingly clear that it was at his expense. It wasn’t cruel, it wasn’t out of character, but they were definitely keeping something from him. 

“Okay,” he tossed his notebook down, “What are you doing?” 

“Hm?” Alex questioned innocently, pressing his lips together. He twirled a drumstick carelessly.

“Why do you keep… I don’t know, looking at each other like you’ve uncovered the secrets of the universe or something,” he huffed, gesturing with his arms as if that offered an explanation. 

“Not the secrets of the universe…” Bobby started, setting his guitar down and looking at Luke. His expression was very serious, “But definitely your crush on Reggie,” he concluded.

“My what?!” That caught him completely off guard; it was the last thing he had expected to hear his friend say, “I do—,” 

“Too. You do too have a crush on Reggie,” Alex finished for him. “Come on, dude. It’s not like you're subtle about it or anything,” He shrugged nonchalantly. 

“We don’t care, it’s chill, man. Plus, he likes you back,” Bobby supplied, tossing that _stupid smirk_ to Alex who only returned it. 

“Who does what?” Reggie asked as he re-entered the garage, water bottles in hand. 

“Nothing,” Alex gave Reggie an obnoxiously pure smile, a stark contrast to the smirk he’d just given Bobby. 

“Oh my god,” Luke muttered, gratefully taking a water bottle from Reggie “ _We_ have a lot of work to do.” He pointedly glared at his friends, choosing to ignore that they’d probably continued conversing with their faces when he turned around to grab his guitar. 

And it turned out, they had been right. It had hit him like a ton of bricks that afternoon. He had found another song Reggie had stuck in his notebook, the lyrics were slightly amorous and the melody was undeniably supposed to have a country twang; he kinda wanted Reggie to sing it to him. That was the first brick that him him. Then he realized that his friend looked really hot in his leather jacket. Another brick. The realizations and bricks kept hitting him until he felt like he was suffocating under them. 

He absolutely had a stupid crush on Reggie Peters, and he hated the fact that Alex and Bobby had figured it out before he had.

Yes, Luke Patterson could confirm that he was on the brink of a crisis and he needed to talk to _someone._ He quickly dialed Alex’s number; Alex was his go-to when he was on the verge of emotional distress. The phone rang twice and the line barely picked up before Luke burst into his monologue. 

“Okay, Alex. You were right; you were absolutely right. I have a crush on Reggie! I freaking like Reggie- why didn’t you _just tell me I had a crush on Reggie?_ Instead of inventing an _entire fucking language_ with Bobby? I cannot understand why you- honestly, that doesn’t even matter- none of it matters- because… _what_ am I supposed to do with this kind of information? Dude, what do I do? Holy shit- I have _no_ idea what to do… Do I tell him? Should I tell him? Maybe I should tell him because I cannot keep a secret from Reg. He’d figure it out anyway… Do I just ignore it? But he’ll figure it out eventually because he can read me like a book… and oh god- does he already know? What if he already knows?” Luke cut himself off to take a breath, frantically running a hand through his hair. The silence from the other line only caused his stress to rise, why wasn’t Alex saying anything? There was a slight ruffling. 

“Alex?” He prompted. 

“Uhhhh. Hey, Luke!” His voice was pitchy and overly cheery. 

“That was a lot of questions, man,” another voice said. 

“Is that Bobby? Are you with Bobby?” He groaned, shoving his face in the pillow from his bed. _Of course he was with Bobby._

“To answer at least one of your questions… yes? Reggie knows? At least he does now… ” Alex’s voice rose at the end of each statement, indicating a question though it was evident he already knew the answers. 

“You and Bobby created your own language?” A third voice inquired. 

“No,” Alex responded with exasperation at the same time Bobby said, “Really, Reg?”

Reggie was also there. Of fucking _course._ The only solace he found was in the fact that Reggie had become aware of his crush after Luke figured it out for himself. 

“Jesus Christ, Alex!” He felt his face flush an unnatural shade of red. 

“Luke, I told you I was going to be around to pick you up at like six. I’m _driving!”_ He tried to explain defensively, “I had Bobby pick up the phone and put you on speaker because safety first! I don’t plan on _dying_ anytime soon—,” 

“You could’ve _at least_ told me I was on speakerphone!” His embarrassment caused his voice to modulate. 

“Luke, I was gonna- I didn’t even get to say _hello_ to you before you went off about how in love with Reg you are,” He could hear that _stupid smirk_ and he could see Bobby’s _stupid fucking eyebrows._

“You’re not even sorry!” 

“I would _not_ intentionally set you up, Luke,” he could see a strong image of Alex taking his eyes off the road for a millisecond to roll his eyes. Eventually, he said, “I’m sorry!” 

“I’m not,” Bobby interjected with a snort “Luke, we’ll be there in like five minutes,” he said, before ending the call. 

Luke hung up, groaning as he felt his body burning with embarrassment. They were supposed to be going to a party that Bobby’s girlfriend was hosting; she lived a bit far out and since Alex had a car he had agreed to drive them all. Until Alex reminded him that he was on the road, Luke had completely forgotten that they had made plans. He had spent the day mulling over his feelings with Reggie, completely lost in thought. He even didn’t want to go out now; he was angry with Bobby for existing, angry at Alex for putting him on speaker, angry at Reggie for being so goddamn likable, and mostly angry with himself for having a crush on his best friend. 

If he had any plans to tell Reggie, it was not going to be like this. Upon realization, he would have waited a bit to see if he could get rid of the feeling, or to see if his crush was confused with friendship and admiration. His crushes were almost always fleeting, but the more he thought about it, he realized that he had felt this way about Reggie for a while, he just hadn’t been aware of it. If by the end of the month his feelings had not shifted, he would’ve probably ended up telling Reggie, refusing to allow his thoughts to implode their friendship.

He should call Alex back and tell him not to come, to go without him, because he was not ready to face Reggie after his embarrassing rampage. He would have to at some point, but maybe if he lied low for a week, it would be forgotten on everyone's end- except Alex and Bobby. He knew that if he called Alex at the moment, Bobby would pick up and probably put him on speaker again, and Luke didn’t need that to happen now. 

Or ever again. 

He groaned when he heard a horn honk outside of his window. 

_You are not a coward, Luke Patterson,_ he encouraged himself, pulling his hoodie on and boldly marching down the stairs. He reminded himself that he should be angry with Alex and Bobby, _not_ Reggie, so there was no need to act like it. He reluctantly reminded himself that Alex was right- he hadn’t really given him a chance to say anything before he went on his frantic rant. He decided he wasn’t going to act angry; he would play everything cool. 

“Hey guys,” he tried his best to keep his tone nonchalant, forcing an easy smile to his lips, “Hey, Reg,” he slid into the back seat next to the other boy, closing the door behind him. Reggie tossed him a bright smile, seemingly unaffected by anything Luke had said a few minutes earlier. Alex instructed him to put his seatbelt on, pulling off as Bobby put in a different CD. 

The car ride was surprisingly not as awkward as Luke imagined it would be; Reggie was telling a story about something dumb that happened in class earlier and Alex would occasionally interject with a snarky comment and a laugh. Luke watched as his fingers drummed on the steering wheel and Bobby hummed quietly to the music streaking from the shitty speaker. It would have been a normal car ride, except Luke hadn’t fully allowed himself to relax as he sat uncharacteristically quiet. Everytime Reggie would look at him, he would emit a mechanical laugh to show that he was engaged in the story was telling. 

They were about fifteen minutes away from their destination when Alex declared, “Alright, I have to get gas,” he drove into the station, putting the car in park, “And Bobby needs to come inside and…” 

“Get gum,” Bobby supplied; clearly he and Alex were on the same wavelength. Again.

Luke clenched his jaw. They probably had another silent conversation while Alex drove, hoping to leave Luke and Reggie in the car alone. 

_I would not intentionally set you up, Luke,_ Alex’s words resurfaced in his mind. 

Luke scoffed, _so much for that,_ he thought. He could easily foil their plans by going inside with them. He could also foil their plan by staying in the car and simply not talking to Reggie. 

“Be right back,” he heard the sound of a door closing followed by the other door and then silence. 

That didn’t last long, though, because Reggie said, “We should probably talk,” there was laughter in his voice. 

Luke wrung his hands together, “Sure, Reg, what’s up?” 

He knew what was up. Reggie knew what was up; why did he ask that _dumb question?_

“So you like me…” Reggie started.

“Yeah, I’m sorry about the phone call.You weren’t supposed to hear that…” he awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. 

“Ever?” Reggie questioned. 

“Honesty? No,” he slumped in his chair, “Alex and Bobby have been teasing me for like a month and I didn’t believe them until this morning when I realized they were _right._ I didn’t even have time to work it out with myself because Alex betrayed me in my hour of need and now we’re having this conversation,” he threw his hand up, gesturing between them. 

“Well maybe we should’ve had it sooner,” Reggie shrugged, seemingly fighting to keep a smile from blooming on his face, “Because I like you too,” 

“And seriously, dude, it’s okay if you don’t- wait, what?” He cut himself off when Reggies words registered. 

“I said I like you too,” he repeated, smiling fully now.

“Oh, wow, okay,” he ran his hands through his hair; so Bobby and Alex were right about another thing. Great. 

“Yeah,” Reggie was now sitting in the middle seat, bridging the gap between them. “And I think we should go out sometime,” he continued, his excitement was blinding. Things were moving so quickly and Luke was having a hard time processing it. 

Reggie just asked him out. 

Alex and Bobby had been speaking Morse code with their eyebrows for a month, they had confronted Luke about his crush a few weeks ago and this morning Luke had finally uncovered his feelings. Half a day later his now-realized crush was asking him out? It was giving him whiplash. 

“Luke?” Reggie’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He was looking at him expectantly, his eyes searching his face with concern, “It’s okay, bro, you can say no. I just thought because… you know…”

_Bro._

“You’re so fricking cute,” Luke replied absently, effectively cutting Reggie off. 

“Yeah? Then go out with me,” he said confidently. It was weird being on the end of Reggies flirting. Luke had seen Reggie flirt with many girls after their gigs; he was charming and always seemed sure of himself. His grin was lopsided and his cheeks were tinted an endearing pink. It wasn’t that Luke wasn’t sure of himself, it’s just that, as Reggie would put it, he was in a very committed relationship with his music. 

“Sure, Reg. Let’s go out,” 

“Sweet!” He exclaimed, his eyes lighting up. 

“Sweet,” he agreed, tossing the other boy a bright smile back. 

“What’s sweet?” Bobby questioned, climbing back into the front seat. 

“None of your business!” Luke folded his arms, sticking his tongue out and leaning back on the seat. Ignoring the confines of his seatbelt, he rested his head on Reggies shoulder, the leather was cool against his heated cheek. 

“What’s none of your business?” Alex hopped back into the car after he’d finished refueling. He glanced between Bobby and Luke and Reggie in the back seat, “Oh,” he said, turning around and starting the car with a grin he didn’t even try to hide. 

“Hey, Bobby,” Luke taunted, “Can I have some gum?” He knew the other boy hadn’t bought any, but he wanted to put him on the spot for forcing him to confront his crush. 

“Fuck off,” Bobby replied with a scoff, “You should be thanking me. You’re welcome, by the way,” he saw Alex offer him the least inconspicuous fist bump. 

He felt Reggie chuckle, causing him to crack his own smile as he rolled his eyes. He sat up straight when Alex rolled back onto the road, grabbing Reggies hand and lacing their fingers. 

“Oh, that reminds me! You guys still need to teach me your new language!” Reggie said. His tone was serious, but the smirk on his face made it obvious that he was messing with Luke; he was already fluent. Luke groaned, covering his face with his hand as they laughed. He hated them all. 

Except Reggie who was on thin ice _only_ because he had just asked him on a date. 

Luke felt lips press to his temple and he joined them in laughter. He supposed he wasn’t too angry at the other boys either, because it had been their stupid call that prompted Reggie to ask in the first place. He admitted that he was grateful they’d left them in the car so Reg could ask him out, and was also grateful for them putting his stupid confession on speaker. 

He reluctantly recognized that all of this happened because of their annoying face conversations, so yeah, he supposed he was grateful for that too.


End file.
